The IFTF: The Network Matter

Technology Horizon Research. Ideas about the future

Philosophy of Technology Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Philosophy of Technology Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.

A bit deeper thinking about technology

I am writing some random ideas about my reading which is not complete yet but I will dare to write my thoughts while the reading is taking place:

The question concerning technology. (Heidegger, M., 1977)

Heideger approaches technology with the idea that in questioning concerning technology we shall like to build a free relationship to it. The relationship will be free if it opens our humans existence to the essence of technology, hence the goal for me is to understand the essence of technology. Moreover to question what the essence shall be in order to accomplish what I have thought it will.

One interpretation is that technology makes us free in that technology is revelation. It is about what or maybe how a thing becomes a thing. What makes a thing what it is and not something else. Looking at the essence of a thing.  His arguments go back to the Greeks and their idea of the 4 ways to be responsible for a thing, 4 ways of ocassioning something. And with “ocassioning” he means to go from the concealed to the un concealed and in this transition the thing is present, it is there brought to the front, it is revealed.

Technology derives from Technikon→ which belongs to techne→activities and skills of the craftsman + the arts of mind and fine arts. It belongs to poeiesis to bringing-forth. Techne and episteme are linked since Plato→ knowing in the widest sense. A knowing that provides an opening up and as that it is revealing. Techne→ reveals what ever does not bring itself to the fore and does not yet lie before us. It plays a key role in revealing. We should put our attention into what technology is revealing to us!
Until here I have read.

This idea of ‘revealing’ is very interesting.  Technology will allow us to see hidden things. Technology are means that help humans to see beyond their natural capacity. Like the telescope that had revealed a whole world that was there but unavailable to our senses. The telescope in a sense is an extension of our eyes and it reveals a world that has been unseen for us thus unanalysed and not included as causes for maybe natural phenomena that we could not explain with what was revealed to us through our natural senses. Technology plays a role in showing us but if technology is made by a craftsman, the question that arises in me would be, how does Galileo (the craftsman) came to build a telescope? Did he realised that there was more to see? Did he thought about possible explanations and he started to think about what the evidence could be and therefore he started to discover the need to see more or more faraway? What ever the reasons are to craft a technology, a means that will allow us to reveal the hidden, to bring-forth a thing that is on the backstage, it is worth to reflect on what this hidden is that we are willing to uncover through our technology.

I am the craftswomen in my research, I am crafting a learning space that, after reading a paper that talks about space and place, will transform into a place, a dynamic place to be in and do things with. But the key aspect for me is finding out what is that, that I want to reveal, to bring to the forth with the RME-DynamicSpace. Some ideas pup up in my mind. One of the things I want to help with is the way teachers work with students. The possibilities they include in the learning/teaching experience, the range of possible tools, conceptual artefacts, ways of re-presenting the knowledge gained during the learning experience that students produce. I wish to support teachers in the process of crafting their own learning-space, to develop empathy with young people that speak in a digital and very multimodal language nowadays. With students that express themselves with the tools of their times and in doing so they reassure their own social identity that is what they need in order to become “individuals”, to become their selves and in doing so they will strengthen their selves and build independent minds.

It would be interesting to think about the 4 ways of existing, of being of the RME-DynamicSpace. The matter, the shape-the aspect, the function, what it can accomplish so it becomes clear what will circumscribe the thing, it will put the boundaries and define it more sharply and the craftswomen (me) who is responsible to bring all those three ways together and capture the meaning and in doing so capture its essence in the object to be created. What the craftsman will do is bring together THE THING and reveal its essence. There lies the talent of a craftsman. So me as a craftswomen I have to think deeply about those 4 ways of existing and bring them together in one beautiful and appealing THING. This reflection is not complete…just starting to think and write 🙂

More readings here

Connected Minds

This work from OECD answer important question regarding the design of education experience.
Can the claim about todays’ learners called New Millenials or Digital native be sustained empirically?
Is there consistent research evidence demonstrating the effects of technology adoption on cognitive development, social values and learning expectations?
What are the implications of policies and practice?

Technology rich innovative environments

Introduction

Our rapidly changing world has posed the long-standing question to education,
―How can today’s schools be transformed so as to become environments of
teaching and learning that makes individuals lifelong learners and prepare them
for the 21st Century?” 

The response to this question is the focus of the OECD project, Innovative Learning
Environments, and has produced a sampling of the rich array of new visions for education around the  world. As one might imagine, many learning environments have looked to technology in their efforts  to redesign teaching and learning. While technology integration has long been a key area of concern in education, the intersection of technology with our rapidly transforming educational landscape is framing the nature of technology in education in profound, new ways. New and emerging technologies are provoking a re-conceptualisation of teaching and learning, while also serving as catalysts for transformation and innovation.
Successfully preparing all learners with the skills and capacities for 21st century citizenship
global awareness, creativity, collaborative problem-solving, self-directed learning—is no small order,  and many educational leaders are finding that the traditional forms of education that have evolved through the end of the last century are simply inadequate for achieving these goals. At the same time,  while our outer world was transforming, considerable advances have been made in the learning sciences, forcing educators to reconsider how they approach learning, instruction, and the environments created to foster these. Finally, dramatic advances in educational technology have inspired powerful new ways for learners to engage with all kinds of content and activities in their own
self-direct learning experiences. The juxtaposition of these three events creates a very interesting  challenge and opportunity—a space to reconsider, re-imagine, and re-invent learning environments able to prepare and excel each individual for effective life-long learning.

The drive of technology for school change…Read more

Let’s stop focusing on shiny gadgets and start using tech to empower people

Some tools to work

Compare two words
Conceptual map: CMap
Conceptual mat: MindMeister
Doc storage and sharing: Box.net
Dynamic algebra software: Geogebra
TImeline: Tiki-Toki – Timeline MIT Widget –
Comics and story telling: ComicLife
Newspaper: Paper.il
Image and content curation: Scoop.it
Notebook, agenda, calendar and more: Evernote